September is National Potato Month, and our contribution to the festivities is Mashed Potato Pizza.

Our favorite baker, The Baker Chick, made it with leftover mashed potatoes.

She used slow cooker mashed potatoes, but you can make the mash however you like.

For a Thanksgiving Leftovers pizza, you can substitute mashed sweet potatoes and top with your leftover veggies: green peas, squash, etc.
 
 
RECIPE: MASHED POTATO PIZZA

Ingredients For 1 14-Inch Pizza

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 500°F and heat the pizza pan or stone along with it for at least 30 minutes.

[1] Creamy mashed potatoes, bacon, corn, scallions and mozzarella: That’s some pizza! (photo © The Baker Chick)

3. ROLL and spread the dough until it is thin and shaped. Form a thin crust ridge around the edge. A bit of extra oil can make it easier to spread and actually make thin.

4. SPREAD the mashed potato on top of the shaped dough (but not the edge). Sprinkle the bacon, corn and scallions on top of the potatoes and then top with the cheese.

5. USE a cutting board or pizza peel to help transfer the pizza to the hot stone. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Turn it into a festive lunch with a green salad and a glass of cider.
 
 
The History Of Potatoes

The History Of Pizza

[1] Ruby chocolate joins the familiar dark, milk and white varieties (photos 1-3 © Barry Callebaut).

[2] Make confections and desserts with ruby chocolate, from bonbons to mousse.

[3] Ruby chocolate ice cream.

[4] From Bahlsen: Choco Leibniz presents Ruby Cacao (photos 4-5 courtesy Foodschau | Facebook).

[5] The top and bottom of Bahlsen’s ruby cacao Choco Leibniz biscuit.

Dark, milk and white chocolate have a new sibling: ruby chocolate.

The food scientists at Swiss* cacao producer Barry Callebaut created the new chocolate type they call ruby.

It’s named for its rosy color (photo #1)—and possibly because many people might think that “pink chocolate” was for kids.

To the eye it is a lovely shade of pink (photo #1). On the palate it delivers berry and citrus flavor notes. It’s a bit tart, in a pleasant way.

In fact, it has none of the flavors typically associated with chocolate, just the creamy mouthfeel.

So people who don’t like dark, milk and white chocolate might like ruby—and vice versa.

The story follows.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of chocolate.

> The different types of chocolate: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 69 chocolate holidays.
 
 
THE ORIGIN OF RUBY CHOCOLATE

According to Barry Callebaut, the chocolate is made from a cacao bean they’ve dubbed the ruby cacao bean. The color and flavor of the couverture are all from nature: No flavoring or color is added (sugar is added by whomever is transforming the couverture into a finished chocolate product).

The naturally-occurring ruby cacao bean has properties that allow it to be processed into pink, fruity ruby chocolate.

Cacao, like wine grapes and other fruits, can be widely affected by their terroir. Ruby cocoa beans grow under particular levels of humidity, sunshine and temperature and can be found in the Côte d’Ivoire, Brazil and Ecuador.

The new chocolate arrives some 80 years after white chocolate was introduced to the market by Nestlé, in the 1930s.

Ruby chocolate began development in 2004.

According to the company:

“More than 10 years ago, one of our cocoa† experts discovered that components of certain cocoa beans could produce a cacao† taste experience with an exceptional flavor and color. Since then, we’ve been unraveling the secret behind this, leading to the discovery of the ruby cocoa bean and creation of a totally new flavor experience.”

Barry-Callebaut’s process is, of course, proprietary.

However, we know that in 2009 the company registered a patent for “cocoa-derived material” from unfermented cocoa beans (or beans fermented for no more than three days) that become red or purple after treating them with an acid (citric acid) and then defatting with petroleum ether.”

After harvesting, beans are traditionally washed (“lavado”), then fermented (“fermentado”) for four days. They are then dried in preparation for roasting.

Beans that are only washed can have a natural red-pinkish color.

Industry speculation is that ruby chocolate is made with unfermented cacao beans that are washed but not fermented.

The citric acid that engenders the pink color also provides the slight tart taste [source].

The percent of cacao in ruby chocolate is less than milk chocolate, which as 30% or more cacao‡.
 
The First Sale To Consumers

Ruby chocolate was first available for sale to consumers in January 2018.

It was introduced in a new, premium flavor of Kit Kat bar in Japan and South Korea (Kit Kats are sold there in a wide variety of flavors.

The ruby Kit Kat bar was next rolled out in Canada, Germany, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand.

And now, it’s in the U.S. The first products we’ve seen so far are:

 
Most assuredly, products like these, plus ruby cacao bonbons and desserts, are making their way to your neck of the woods.
 
Ruby Cacao Beverage Pairings

According to Barry-Callebaut, ruby cacao pairs extremely well with rosé Champagne, Belgian Kriek beer, salty caramels and blue cheese.

To these, THE NIBBLE adds a fruity red like Beaujolais, dessert wines like demi-sec and sec Champagnes, Port and these dessert wines.

Here’s more information from Barry Callebaut.

Here’s a great way to try ruby cacao and help support breast cancer (October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month).

They’re limited-edition biscuits from Bahlsen, the world’s largest family-run biscuit [cookie] producer in the world, since 1889.

The company’s first innovation, in 1891, were the delectable cookies known in the U.S. as Choco Leibniz (Leibniz Keks in Germany): a buttery biscuit on one side, a bar of chocolate on the other.
The limited edition, available in September and October, is officially called Choco Leibniz presents Ruby Cacao (photos #4, #5 and #6).

A portion of sales benefits PLAY for P.I.N.K., which donates 100% of proceeds to advance the world’s most promising research.

“Cookies for a Cause” will be available from September 1st through October 31st, 2019, for $4.99 at select grocers and specialty markets including Cost Plus World Market, Earth Fare, Ingles, Jungle Jim’s, ShopRite and Stop & Shop.
 

[6] Get your ruby biscuits at while supplies last (photo © Barry Callebaut).
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*The company is currently based in Zürich, Switzerland. It is a 1996 merger of Belgian chocolate producer Callebaut and French producer Cacao Barry.

†Cocoa and cacao are often used interchangeably. “Cocoa” was actually a typo on a ship’s manifest in the 1700s. The Nibble uses cacao to refer to the bean, cocoa to refer to the drink (a.k.a. “drinking chocolate”), and chocolate for “eating chocolate.”

‡Most “newsstand” milk chocolate contains 30% cacao. The higher the percentage of cacao, the more chocolatey the flavor. Artisan producers often produce up to 45% milk chocolate, and products called “dark milk chocolate” can contain up to 70% cacao. Here’s more information.
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Deep frying occurs when the fat in a pot or pan completely envelops the food.

You may have read tips on deep frying that advise against cooking with extra virgin olive oil. The advice is that the smoke point is too low.

But that’s not so, says California Olive Ranch, producers of fine EVOO in “everyday,” single varietals and reserve blends.

Every oil has a temperature at which it begins to break down, referred to as the smoke point. It’s a common myth, says California Oil Ranch, that olive oil has a low smoke point that renders it inadequate to deep fry with.

It’s also a myth, they say, that oil needs to reach extreme temperatures in order to fry food. In many regions around the globe, cooks have long been frying with extra virgin olive oil.

We always fry our morning eggs in EVOO, but that’s not the same as deep frying. So we pass along to you California Olive Ranch’s tips for frying in EVOO.

But first, let’s start with a tip from us.

EVOO is costlier than regular olive oil and other oils used to deep fry: canola, sunflower and vegetable, for example. And single varietal EVOO and reserve blends are even pricier.

We wouldn’t normally recommend that you use a pricey bottle of EVOO to fry.

But there are less expensive “everyday” EVOO blends.

Or you might end up with too much EVOO, or EVOO that’s been on yourself for too long (friends typically gift us with fine olive oil, and sometimes we can’t use it fast enough).

Of course, you want to use it up before it goes rancid (a sniff will tell you if that’s about to happen—or already has happened*).

While different olive cultivars have a longer or shorter freshness timeline, all olive oil should be good for two years from bottling. If your bottle is older than two years, get ready to fry.

And a reminder: All cooking oils should be stored in a cool, dark place, away from light.
 
 
LET THE FRYING BEGIN!

In order to deep fry food, the oil must reach a temperature that:

 
And, EVOO is the most heart-healthy cooking oil.

In sum: Not only does extra virgin olive oil stand up to the task of high heat cooking, it also aids in bringing out the flavors of your dish—in a more healthful way.

TRIVIA: Both olive oil and wine are fruit juice—pressed from fresh fruits.

[1] Use EVOO for tastier sweet potato fries (photo © California Olive Ranch).

[2] Make tastier fried chicken, too, with this recipe from Volpi Foods (photo © Volpi Foods).

[3] A bottle of California Olive Oil’s Everyday Olive Oil, an EVOO for everyday baking, roasting and sautéing (photo © California Olive Ranch)

*How to tell if your olive oil is over the hill: Pour a bit of room temperature oil into a small cup or 1/4 cup measure. Place your hand over the cup to trap the aroma, and sniff. If it smells musty or like fermented fruit, it’s rancid. If it smells normal to you, you can next do a small taste test. Slurp a teaspoon of oil into your mouth and slosh it around. If it tastes good to you, it’s good to use. By the way, if it smells and tastes redolent of olives, it’s fresh.

[1] Nepalese potato salad uses a yogurt binder and a number of South Asian spices (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] Fingerling potatoes (photo © The Roasted Root, which used them to make these delicious Rosemary Roasted Fingerlings).

Nepalese potato salad? What’s that?

Potatoes, like chicken, provide a neutral canvas that can showcase the seasonings of any global cuisine.

While most of us can’t name a Nepalese* food, we are familiar with the cuisine’s seasonings: cayenne, coriander, cumin, fenugreek and turmeric.

So if you’re feeding a foodie crowd—or want to bring something different to a party—whip up a batch.

Potatoes are a staple all across Nepal, served daily in every home.

Buddhist monks in Nepal and Bhutan began to cultivate them in the 1700s, although it took another 150 years for them to move from the monasteries to the the general population.

Chukauni is a yogurt-based potato salad from the hilly region of Palpa in midwestern Nepal.

The layers of flavor include creaminess from the yogurt, assertive spices and a hint of heat from the cayenne.

The recipe is from the cookbook Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked, by Raghavan Iyer, a continent-by-continent celebration of the versatile potato.
 
 
RECIPE: NEPALESE POTATO SALAD

Ingredients

1. SCRUB the potatoes under cold running water and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a small or medium-size saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pan, and gently boil until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork or knife but still firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Fish the pieces out of the water (do not discard the water) with a slotted spoon and place them in a medium-size bowl.

2. DROP the peas into the potato cooking water and boil them just to warm them up, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain them in a colander, give them a good shake or two to remove any excess water. Add the peas to the potatoes along with the onion.

3. HEAT the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil appears to shimmer and smells quite pungent, sprinkle in the coriander, cumin, and fenugreek seeds. Allow them to sizzle and turn reddish brown, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle in the cayenne and turmeric, staining the oil with their sunny dispositions. Pour most of the oil out over the potatoes and peas, holding back the seeds in the skillet as much as you can.

4. SCRAPE the seeds into a mortar and pulverize them into a coarse powder with a pestle. If you don’t have a mortar, transfer the seeds to a spice grinder and grind them. Scrape the blend into the bowl with the potatoes.

5. ADD the yogurt, cilantro and salt to the potatoes and give the mixture a good stir. Serve at room temperature.
 
 
POTATO SALAD HISTORY

Potatoes originated in Peru, where they were a dietary staple. They were brought to Europe in the 16th century by Spanish Explorers.

In Europe, early potato salads were made by boiling potatoes in wine or a mixture of vinegar and spices. The first American potato salads were likely versions of the German potato salad, brought to the U.S. by German emigrants in the mid-19th century.

In those recipes, cooked potatoes were dressed with oil, vinegar and herbs, often blended with coarse mustard and some sugar.

Hot potato salad, made with bacon, onion and an oil and vinegar dressing, became known as German potato salad. Here’s the recipe.

We don’t know the person who created what became the iconic American potato salad with mayonnaise.

Commercial mayonnaise was available in the early 1900s, but it wasn’t until the 1920s and 1930s, with the introduction of brands such as Hellman’s and and Miracle Whip, that mayonnaise-based potato salads achieved popularity [source].

Chopped celery and dried herbs were added to the mix. Our mom added diced red onion and mixed the mayo with a bit of Dijon mustard. Many cooks added their own twists along with the mayo, creating a sea of comfort food recipes.
 
 
CHECK OUT:

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*Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located mainly in the Himalayas, and is the home of Mount Everest. The capital is Kathmandu. Nepal is popular for mountaineering, with some of the highest and most challenging mountains in the world. While many people think of Mount Everest as being in Tibet, it spans Nepal and China as well. The southeast ridge on the Nepali side of the mountain is easier to climb, so most climbers prefer to trek to Everest through Nepal. Here’s an overview of Nepalese cuisine.

Mary’s Gone Crackers is a brilliantly-crafted line.

Wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, non-GMO, with no hydrogenated oils or trans-fats: These delicious crackers are the poster food for everything that is trending in specialty food today.

Yet, the brand dates to 1994, when Mary Waldner discovered that she and her son were allergic to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and most oats.

Eliminating those grains from their diet cured the condition.

However, in the food store environment of 25 years ago, it left her with nothing to eat in the area of bread, crackers and baked goods.

A lifelong baker, Mary began to experiment with the alternative gluten-free flours—corn, garbanzo bean, potato and rice flour, tapioca, potato starch and others.

She ultimately created a satisfying gluten-free version of her conventional brownies, cookies, muffins, pancakes and waffles.

But at parties, there wasn’t a cracker or bread stick that she could eat with the cheeses and dips. Mary went back to work using brown rice as a base for crackers.
 
 
MARY’S CRACKER VARIETIES

You don’t have to be gluten-free to become a fan. These whole food, organic crackers are so crunchy and delicious that almost everyone will find them irresistible.

The line is Certified Certified Gluten Free, Certified USDA Organic, Certified Vegan, Certified Whole Grain. It is also Non-GMO and Certified Kosher by OU.

The original four flavors of crackers have expanded to 16:
 
Original Seed Crackers

Original Seed Crackers combine organic, gluten free, whole grain brown rice, quinoa, flax seeds and sesame seeds. The result: a rich, earthy flavor with a great crunch in:

 
Super Seed Crackers

Mary’s Super Seed Crackers are packed with poppy, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. More seeds means more protein—enough to provide an energy boost (5 grams of protein per serving.

 
Real Thin Crackers

Mary’s Real Thin Crackers are made with sustainably sourced palm oil. It helps to create a buttery, toasty-tasting vegan cracker in:

 
Now you have all the crackers you need for cheeses, dips, and what-you-will.

If you have friends who eat gluten-free, surprise them with some boxes of Mary’s. It could be the best gift they get all year.

And now…

It’s time to go crackers!
 
 
Discover more at MarysGoneCrackers.com.

[1] A healthful spread with Mary’s Real Think Crackers (all photos © Mary’s Gone Crackers).

[2] Whatever your favorite dip, Mary’s crackers are at the ready.

[3] The seeds used to make the crackers.

[4] A selection of Super Seed flavors.

[5] You can have it all, with these Everything crackers.